As much fun as I have dinging on Garrison Keillor (I mean, it did put this blog on the map), I gotta confess, I do love A Prairie Home Companion. I listen to it as often as I can, usually live (because, due no doubt to copyright issues, the only part you can actually get via podcast is the “News from Lake Wobegone” segment; it’s good, but it’s not the whole show.
Still, the show has its downsides – parts that make me tune out.
So, due to popular demand, I present – A Prairie Home Report Card: the top and bottom five things about APHC:
The Five Persistent Questions A Prairie Home Companion Gets Wrong:
5. Keillor’s Relentless Upsucking To The Dems: Goes without saying; just wanted to get it out of the way.
4. The Guy With The Knock-Knock Joke Song Every Year: Ka-nock, Ka-knock. Who’s there? Tawanna. Tawanna who? Tawanna eat a Beretta when I hear this song!
3. Garrison Keillor Trying To Sing Harmony With Opera Singers: What did the sage once say about ordering a tuna sandwich at a steak joint?
2. BeBopAReeBop Rhubarb Pie: Perhaps it’s because I have a viscerally bad reaction to the term BeBopAReeBop from childhood – but please, for the love of almighty Vishnu, give this bit a rest.
1. Pat Donohue’s Songs: Donohue’s a great guitar player. But do we need to have a different fake “blues” song about the mundanities of Minnesota life every episode?
OK, there’s the yang. Now, the yin:
The Five Things About A Prairie Home Companion That Are Strong, Good Looking and Above Average:
5. Fred Newman’s Sound Effects: I do know, basically, how he does it – but it’s still friggin’ amazing.
4. Real Lives Of The Cowboys: Better than Guy Noir. And that takes some doing.
3. News From Lake Wobegon: Whatever Keillor’s other flaws, he’s got small-town Scandinavian-America dialled in. And even though he’s been doing the same bit, really, for almost forty years, it still never gets old to me.
2. The English Major: Yes, it cuts too close to home. Who cares?
1. The Ketchup Advisory Board: Funniest fake commercials ever. Funnier even than the Bud Light “Real American Heroes” spots.
That should settle any issues.
Can’t argue with the yin. Though, in my personal list, Guy Noir is my favorite PHC bit. I also love the fiddle on the powdermilk commercial. (If I had 30 wished from a genie, one of them would be to wish I was the world’s greatest fiddle player.)
And, Sue Scott’s voice is smokin’ hot.
I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, Mitch, but have you put the ketchup commercial — and the voice thereon — next to the Reagan Morning in America commercial?
Also, I’d kill to be able to bang on a piano like Rich Dworsky.
I agree with most of your points (except for the mocking Republicans, of course.) I hate, hate, hate when he sings – especially old chestnuts like “Merrily We Roll Along.” Gives me douche chills it does. Love Lake Wobegon and the Ketchup Advisory Board, but not enough to listen to the show most weekends.
I miss Stony Lonesome.